Her Smile, My Burning Hell

at my office. It had Liam' s messy scrawl on it. I didn't

stled in gold-embossed cardstock,

oldest friend. It would mean the world to me if you' d

ing it on display for everyone to see. He wanted me there, front and center, to witness h

to the trash can next to my

red all my energy into my company, finalizing a new software deal with the city's largest hospital net

As I walked through the main lobby, discussing imple

, thinner than I remembered. Chloe had her arm wrapped around him, her face a mask of lovi

she used to care for me whe

r physician who was consulting o

," he said quietly

d, pulling my eye

t just fatal, it's aggressive. We're seeing more cases of infected individuals intentionally spreading it. Some kind of twiste

ndrome. That was far worse than what the first lab report had suggeste

ient from this very clinic. Went to a party and infected a dozen people before we caught on. Said

old. An underg

o protect my family. The firs

e tight. "I just remembered I have to d

had bought it outright as a wedding gift

nge the locks and that I would be listing the property for sale, effective imme

amiliar voice cut

th

me, leaving Liam by the reception desk. Her smile

me, a curious glint in his ey

e," I said, my voic

n surprise. "Oh. I'm..

me, ignoring the doctor en

id, her voice a low hiss. "Why

ant, cold pity. All her power, all her mani

ve. I turned to Dr. Evans. "Shall we conti